1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices used with pickup trucks that include a camper type cap over the truck bed and, more particularly, to devices especially adapted for providing a seal between a truck cab and the truck bed cap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pickup trucks with caps over the truck bed have a gap between the truck cab and the truck bed cap. In winter, snow, sleet, and ice can fall into this gap and build up, obscuring the driver's rear view. This buildup can also freeze shut the rear window of the cab on cabs that have rear cap windows that are adapted to be opened. Also, during the spring and fall, dew settles on both rear window of the cab and the front window of the cap resulting in obscured vision. To avoid snow and ice from entering the gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap, it would be desirable if an apparatus were provided that filled the gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap.
The gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap is especially small on sporty pickup trucks with molded, snugly fitting fiberglass caps. On these types of trucks, it is difficult or impossible to fit a snowbrush, squeegee, or other narrow object into the gap to remove snow buildup or wipe down the windows. Currently, the only solutions for snow buildup are jamming a rigid object into the gap and attempting to break up and remove snow chunks, or waiting until warmer weather melts the snow jam. Use of a rigid object to clear the gap can scratch and abrade the fiberglass cap and truck paint. In this respect, it would be desirable if a filler apparatus were provided for the gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap that precludes the need to use rigid objects for clearing away snow and ice from the gap.
With such a narrow gap as described above, one way to remove dew from the rear window of the cab and the front window of the cap is to slide open the cab or cap window and clear off the dew by hand. This is a time-consuming and work intensive process, and it would be desirable to avoid a window cleaning operation that uses a person's hands as the cleaning implements. Another way to remove dew from the rear cab window and front cap window is to drive the vehicle until air flow through the gap evaporates the moisture. Such a technique may not be effective when ambient relative humidity is very high. With either method described above for removing dew from the windows adjacent to the gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap, the driver's visibility is impaired for often long periods of time. In this respect, it would be desirable if an apparatus were provided which prevented the build up of visibility-impairing dew on the windows adjacent to the gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap.
Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to devices designed for filling the gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: 3,837,700 and 3,897,970. More specifically, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,837,700 and 3,897,970 disclose inflatable devices for filling the gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap. There are a number of disadvantages associated with the use of such inflatable gap filler devices. For example, they are readily subject to tiny punctures or cracks which allow pressurized air to escape, thereby precluding effectiveness of the device. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided for filling the gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap which does not employ pressurized air that can leak if small cracks or punctures occur in the device.
Another disadvantage of the inflatable devices is their light weight. Being filled with only air and being so light weight, the force of gravity is not a major factor in keeping the devices in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,837,700 and 3,897,970 firmly in place in the gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided for filling a gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap in which the force of gravity is a major factor in keeping the device firmly in place in the gap.
Still another disadvantage of an inflatable device is the time and effort required to inflate the device. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided for filling a gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap which did not require time and effort to inflate.
In addition, the following U.S. patents disclose some additional innovations for filling gaps in automotive vehicles: 3,897,100; 4,114,943; 4,222,605; 4,294,485; 5,090,765; and Des. No. 251,724. Of special interest are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,114,943, 4,222,605, and 4,294,485 which disclose window boots installed in the gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap. A number of problems are associated with such window boots. First, such window boots require that the shape of the rear window of the cab and the shape of the front window of the cap be substantially identical. In practical applications, however, such is not the case. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided for filling a gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap which does not require that the shape of the rear window of the cab and the shape of the front window of the cap be substantially identical. A second problems associated with such window boots is the need to place the rear window of the cab and the front window of the cap in substantial registration with one another. Again, in practical applications, such a requirement may be difficult or impossible to fulfill. Therefore, it would be desirable if a device were provided for filling a gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap which does not require the rear window of the cab and the front window of the cap in to be in substantial registration with one another.
Still other features would be desirable in a cab to cap gap filler apparatus. Aside from taking advantage of the force of gravity for retaining a gap filler apparatus in proper position, it would also be advantageous to take advantage of ferromagnetic properties if both the cab of the truck and either the truck bed or the truck bed cap are made from ferromagnetic materials. That is, magnets can be employed to attach cab to cap gap filler apparatus when both the cab and the bed or cap include ferromagnetic materials.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use devices to cover the gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a cab to cap gap filler apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) fills the gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap; (2) precludes the need to use rigid objects for clearing away snow and ice from the gap; (3) avoids a window cleaning operation that uses a person's hands as the cleaning implements; (4) prevents the build up of visibility-impairing dew on the windows adjacent to the gap between the rear of the cab and the front of the truck bed cap; (5) does not employ pressurized air that can leak if small cracks or punctures occur in the device; (6) employs the force of gravity to be a major factor in keeping the device firmly in place in the gap; (7) does not require time and effort to inflate; (8) does not require that the shape of the rear window of the cab and the shape of the front window of the truck bed cap be substantially identical; (9) does not require the rear window of the cab and the front window of the cap in to be in substantial registration with one another; and (10) employs magnets can be employed to attach the cab to cap gap filler apparatus when both the cab and the bed or cap include ferromagnetic materials. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique cab to cap gap filler apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.